#MediaMonday – Robin Sewell
Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from Robin Sewell, host of Arizona Highways TV, which explores the people and places that make our state extraordinary. The show airs on 3TV and CBS 5 in Phoenix, as well as KMSB and KTTU in Tucson and KYMA in Yuma.
Robin, time to share:
Arizona Highways Television is more than just a television show; it is an experience and an adventure. The show takes viewers on thrilling expeditions through breathtaking scenery, introduces them to the engaging people who call Arizona home, uncovers quaint and charming places to sleep, hip urban hotspots and delectable places that not only nourish the appetite but also the soul.
I’ve been hosting Arizona Highways TV since our premiere in 2004, and we’ve been fortunate to receive 43 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards. I had the idea to create a television show spin-off of the iconic Arizona Highways Magazine. The editor loved the idea, but just didn’t have the money to invest (producing quality television is expensive). So, I decided to come up with the money myself. In just a few months I got the funding by creating a private-public partnership between the State of Arizona and community-minded corporations. Once I negotiated statewide distribution in both English and Spanish, Arizona’s very first syndicated television show shot in High Definition debuted. Fifteen years later, we are grateful Arizonans still welcome us into their homes and rely on us to be their guide to the Grand Canyon state.
How I got into broadcasting
I was introduced to broadcasting by a well-known news anchor in Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA, I got an internship here in Phoenix where my dad lived. I put a resume tape together and got my first reporting job in Ft. Myers, Fla. I continued to work hard and soon got a reporting job in San Diego. I honed my craft and landed my first main anchor job in Seattle then Sacramento. I found my home in Arizona after taking a main anchor position in Phoenix. A few years later, I decided it was time to hit the highway and I’ve been crisscrossing the state ever since.
My top three places in Arizona
It’s hard to narrow my top it down to just three, but I would say Sedona, Bisbee, and of course, the Grand Canyon.
Fun facts you may not have known about me
After securing the rights to do Arizona Highways Television, I found out it was kismet. Unbeknownst to me, my grandfather wrote poetry for Arizona Highways Magazine.
You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram at azhighwaystv and Azfamily.com/ArizonaHighwaysTV and on Twitter.
